Week 3 of high school football saw a lot of scoreboards lit up with a few interesting results mixed in.
Here are five things we learned from Week 3:
Johnson is back in the win column, 7-3A's offenses are impressive, Travis Noland surpassed a major milestone, East Forsyth is a legit contender and Buford is really close to putting it all together.
1. The streak is over
With a Demetri Moon touchdown run with 19 seconds to go, the 34-game losing streak for Johnson has come to an end. The Knights have been knocking at the door for a little over a year now as they lost three games in 2022 by two points or less, but now, the monkey is off the back. It isn't crazy to think that this could be the first of many this season for the Knights, considering how competitive they have been. While East Forsyth and East Jackson provide tough tests after this week's bye, there are many chances for Johnson to get win No. 2 this season, something we think is going to happen.
2. 7-3A offenses light up the scoreboard regularly
White County put up 52 straight points against Chestatee to run their scoring average this season to 40 points per outing. Lumpkin County racked up 46 points at Franklin County to push theirs to 45 points per game. Meanwhile, Gilmer is averaging over 30 points per game and Pickens over 34 points per contest. In this region, if one of these teams can put together a few solid defensive efforts once region play starts, the region title might be heading that team's way.
3. Jefferson's Noland gets 200th win
For Travis Noland, win No. 200 was only a matter of time after a super successful stint at Oconee County before heading to Jefferson. What he has done as the leader of the Dragons is impressive as well, coming in and winning games immediately, something that you don't see often with new head coaching hires in high school football. We wouldn't be shocked if 300 wins isn't terribly far into the future for Noland if things keep going the way they are down Highway 129.
4. East Forsyth is a force to be reckoned with
The Broncos didn't just beat Cedar Shoals Friday night. They controlled the game from start to finish, and while last year's win over the Jaguars was eye-opening to everyone given the program's youth, this year's win is eye-opening as the Broncos could be region title contenders. There are a lot of tough matchups in 8-4A, including North Oconee, Walnut Grove and all the Hall County rivals that the Broncos have left on the schedule, but their Friday night performance makes us think that this Bronco team could be going somewhere in year three.
5. Can Buford finally put all the pieces together?
Against Saint Frances, Buford pitched a shutout, but the offense wasn't consistent. Same thing with Mallard Creek up in Charlotte, but Friday night against North Cobb, it was the offense that was clicking on all cylinders, while the defense needed the first half to get their feet underneath them. With a bye week this Friday before a home game against Carver Atlanta looming, we think that Buford is on the cusp of putting both pieces of the puzzle together and starting to look like a state title contender once again.
